In January every year, by some unwritten decree, we all beat ourselves up over our past behavior and set goals for improvement—things like “be kinder to my neighbor, even when he lets his dog poop on my lawn” or “learn Chinese even though I hate Chinese food and I’ll probably never visit China” or “become…
Author: Kelley J. P. Lindberg
Holiday Gifts for Writers 2024
It’s time for my annual list of holiday gifts for the writer in your life! (Didn’t we just do this? How has a year gone by already?) Whether you’re looking for inspirational gifts, workspace upgrades, or pure indulgences, there’s surely something on this list that will tickle your writer’s holiday fancy. Home Office/Workspace Upgrades and…
Frustration—Your Character’s Catalyst
What frustrates you in your day-to-day life? What can turn you from your easy-go-lucky, happy self into a venom-spitting viper in 3 nanoseconds or less? Is it bad drivers? When the barista screws up your coffee order? Having to spend an hour on the phone jumping through impenetrable phone-tree options to straighten out a mistake…
10 Ghostly Writing Prompts for Halloween
In the Fall, a young man’s (actually, everyone’s) fancy lightly turns to thoughts of… well… spooky stuff! Take advantage of the Halloween spirit (spirits?), channel your inner Edgar Allen Poe, stretch your creative energy in a creepy direction, and have fun crafting a scary short story or poem that sends a tingle up our spines….
Loglines—One-Sentence Torture Devices for Writers
If you’re a writer, you’ll hear this question a thousand times before you finally brain someone and end up in jail: “What is your story about?” At writing conferences, retreats, pitch events, backyard barbeques, Thanksgiving dinner, the airplane when the passenger next to you asks what you do, and let’s face it, from your cellmate…